Personal Highlights
2298: S2 E05 – Square One. I’m fascinated by this new insight into The Network, and the dystopian society the Profiles live in. Profile 13’s way of talking about their experiences and what they know about Profile 24 is just cryptic enough to create a lot of intrigue about the system they live in, while also giving us a lot of new information at the same time. Their knowledge of the world varies completely to 24’s, and this season has begun at a completely different pace to season one. I’m very excited to see where this story goes.
What Will Be Here: E4 – Nominal MECO. It’s a difficult episode, as the group deal with the aftermath of a raid on their community. There’s some very effective use of silence and non-verbal communication to convey anger and sadness, especially at the beginning of the episode, as Dane struggles to put his feelings into words. The sense of loss and anger here is so strong because of the strength and cohesion of the underground community; even though the recordings are from separate individuals who have different narratives about life in the underground and the raid, which are shaped by their own lives. Armani’s story at the end of the episode doesn’t provide the optimism I was expecting, but instead, a dose of realism from their own experiences – there is no ray of light in the dark here, this is simply how life is, and they must eventually learn to move on.
InCo: S3 Episode 24 – Cadus. I have some very strong feelings about this episode. The episode starts off with Hatov and Zahlia bickering, and then… Boom. Revelation. Big revelation. And once that comes out, the bickering between the two royal siblings makes so much more sense. While the reveal itself is absolutely shocking, after some of the other revelations we’ve seen on Eolara it’s not surprising that someone else was in control of Cadus’ actions, and I can hazard a guess as to who.
The Phenomenon: Survivors: Winchester. The second episode of this series presents a much darker, but very intriguing, look into this post-apocalyptic world, compared to the first story. It’s an insight into a group of survivors who have chilling beliefs as to how a new world must be built, and there are some horrifying descriptions of past events. This story asks the question of the price of survival, and whether the human race will be able to survive beyond the departure of the aliens at all.
The Oracle of Dusk: The Fourth Child – Session 1. The lines between Delphi’s grief and this particular sibling’s grief become increasingly blurred as the session goes on, until Delphi openly talks about the pain she feels after having lost her father at a young age. Delphi sees more of herself in this youngest sibling – or allows herself to, due to this sibling’s relatively young age – but the very nature of grief means that even though she wants to help them, she doesn’t know how to. It’s a heartbreaking episode, more than the first sessions of any of the other siblings, but there is a glimmer of hope and determination as the session ends.
Trailers and Prologues
Unwell released a trailer for its upcoming fourth season, featuring a rendition of the Mt Absolom anthem. The show is due to return on the 2nd of March.
Don’t Mind Cruxmont is an upcoming mystery podcast from Fool and Scholar Productions. The Little Places Travel Journal Podcast introduces us to the sleepy, rural town of Cruxmont, in the north of England. It seems idyllic and peaceful, and a glimpse into the past. After this introduction to Cruxmont, we hear a voicemail left by a character named Colin, who’s heading to the town next.
Returns
Shout out to the return of the ‘unnecessarily salty’! Lost Terminal is back for its seventh season, and Seth has settled into his new home in Yeshi’s workshop, back in Svalbard. Seth calling Arctica his ‘sometimes-friend’ made me laugh much more than it probably should have done, but it’s an accurate and very matter-of-fact description of his difficult friendship with this antagonistic AI. As well as Arctica, we catch up with some of Seth’s other AI friends, but not all is well. Helping others is an important theme in the story, and sections of this episode look at what happens when characters are unable to help, when they offer to. There’s a more positive note in the final scene, which not only contrasts with two previous conversations Seth relays in this transmission, but also highlights another key theme, that of community – though this is also slightly tinged with sadness. There’s a new, optimistic, idea, and I’m interested to see what will come of it.
Casting Calls
Sci-fi podcast Among the Stars and Bones is recasting a character ahead of a special prequel episode. Paid, deadline 12th January.
A Sky Full of Pods 